louisa of prussia and her times-第143节

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offered　him　her　hands。　〃Well；〃　she　asked；　tenderly；　〃your　brow　is
clouded　still？　Come；　let　me　kiss　those　clouds　away。〃

She　raised　herself　on　tip…toe；　and　smiled　when　she　still　was　unable
to　reach　up　to　her　husband's　forehead。

〃You　must　bend　down　to　me；〃　she　said；　〃I　am　too　small　for　you。〃

〃No；　you　are　great　and　sublime；　and　must　bend　down　to　me　as　angels
bend　down　to　the　poor　mortals；〃　said　the　king。　〃Ah；　Louisa；　I　am
afraid；　however；　your　kiss　will　no　longer　be　able　to　drive　the
clouds　from　my　brow。〃

〃Have　you　received　bad　news？〃　asked　the　queen。　〃Have　your
ambassadors　returned？〃

〃They　have。　No　assistance　from　Austria！　That　is　the　news　brought　by
Hardenberg。　No　league　of　the　princes　of　Northern　Germany！　That　is
the　news　brought　by　Lombard。　Every　one　of　them　pursues　his　separate
interests；　and　thinks　only　of　himself。　The　Elector　of　Saxony　would
like　to　be　at　the　head　of　a　Saxon　league；　the　Elector　of　Hesse
promises　to　ally　himself　with　us　if；　above　all；　we　secure　to　him　a
considerable　enlargement　of　his　territory；　Oldenburg　is　going　to
wait　and　see　what　the　other　states　will　do；　Waldeck　and　Lippe　desire
to　join　the　Confederation　of　the　Rhine；　because　they　might　derive
greater　advantages　from　it；　and　the　Duke　of　Mecklenburg…Schwerin
replied；　quite　haughtily；　he　would　remain　neutral：　if　he　were　in
danger；　he　would　gratefully　accept　the　protection　of　Prussia；　but　he
would　have　to　reject　any　application　for　supplies　in　the　most
decided　manner。〃　＇Hausser's　〃History　of　Germany；〃　vol。　ii。；　p。　770。＇

〃Oh；　those　narrow…minded；　egotistic　men；〃　exclaimed　the　queen；
indignantly。　〃They　dare　to　call　themselves　princes；　and　yet　there　is
not　a　single　exalted　thought；　not　a　trace　of　the　spirit　of　majesty
in　their　minds。　Bad　seeds　are　being　sown　by　the　cowardly　spirit　of
the　princes。　Woe　unto　Germany　if　these　seeds　should　ripen　one　day　in
the　hearts　of　the　people！　But　you　did　not　say　any　thing　about　my
father；　what　did　Mecklenburg…Strelitz　reply？〃

〃She　is　on　our　side；　your　father　is　faithful　to　us。〃

〃But；　ah；　he　is　able　only　to　give　us　his　great；　true　heart　and
brave；　friendly　advice！〃　sighed　the　queen。　〃His　state　is　too　small
to　furnish　us　any　other　aid。　Oh；　my　husband；　I　could　now　give　my
heart's　blood　if　I　only　were　the　daughter　of　a　mighty　king；　and　if
my　father　could　hasten　to　your　assistance　with　an　army。〃

〃A　single　drop　of　your　heart's　blood　would　be　too　high　a　price　for
the　armies　of　the　whole　world；〃　said　the　king。　〃Your　father　has
given　to　me　the　most　precious　and　priceless　treasure　earth　contains：
a　noble；　beautiful　wife；　a　high…minded　queen！　Your　father　was　the
richest　prince　when　he　still　had　his　daughter；　and　I　am　the　richest
man　since　you　are　mine。〃

He　clasped　the　queen　in　his　arms；　and　she　clung　to　him　with　a
blissful　smile。

〃For　the　rest；〃　said　the　king；　after　a　pause；　〃there　is　at　least　one
German　prince　who　stands　faithfully　by　us；　and　that　is　the　Duke　of
Saxe…Weimar。〃

〃The　friend　of　Goethe　and　Schiller！〃　exclaimed　the　queen。

〃The　duke　places　his　battalion　of　riflemen　at　our　disposal；　and　will
accept　a　command　in　the　war。〃

〃There　will　be　war；　then？〃　asked　the　queen；　joyfully。

〃Yes；　there　will　be　war；〃　said　the　king；　sadly。

〃You　say　so　and　sigh；〃　exclaimed　Louisa。

〃Yes；　I　sigh；〃　replied　the　king。　〃I　am　not　as　happy　as　you　and　those
who　are　in　favor　of　war。　I　do　not　believe　in　the　invincibility　of　my
army。　I　feel　that　we　cannot　be　successful。　There　is　an　indescribable
confusion　in　the　affairs　of　the　war　department；　the　gentlemen　at　the
head　of　it；　it　is　true；　will　not　believe　it；　and　pretend　that　I　am
still　too　young　and　do　not　understand　enough　about　it。　Ah；　I　wish
from　the　bottom　of　my　heart　I　were　mistaken。　The　future　will　soon
show　it。〃　＇Footnote：　The　king's　own　words。Vide　Henchel　von
Donnersmark。＇




CHAPTER　LXI。

A　BAD　OMEN。


The　decisive　word　had　been　uttered！　Prussia　was　at　length　going　to
draw　the　sword；　and　take　revenge　for　years　of　humiliation。

The　army　received　this　intelligence　with　unbounded　exultation　and
the　people　embraced　every　opportunity　to　manifest　their　martial
enthusiasm。　They　demanded　that　Schiller's　〃Maid　of　Orleans〃　should
be　performed　at　the　theatre；　and　replied　to　every　warlike　and　soul…
stirring　word　of　the　tragedy　by　the　most　rapturous　applause。　They
again　broke　all　the　windows　in　Count　Haugwitz's　house；　and　serenaded
Prince　Louis　Ferdinand；　Minister　von　Hardenberg；　and　such　generals
as　were　known　to　be　in　favor　of　war。

All　the　newspapers　predicted　the　most　brilliant　victories；　and
gloated　already　in　advance　over　the　triumphant　battles　in　which　the
Prussian　army　would　defeat　the　enemy。

But　the　proudest　and　happiest　of　all　were　the　officers　who；　in　the
intoxication　of　their　joy；　saw　their　heads　already　wreathed　with
laurels　which　they　would　gain　in　the　impending　war；　and　whose　pride
would　not　admit　the　possibility　of　a　defeat。　The　army　of　Frederick
the　Great；　they　said；　could　not　be　vanquished；　and　there　was　but　one
apprehension　which　made　them　tremble：　the　fear　lest　war　should　be
avoided　after　all；　and　lest　the　inevitable　and　crushing　defeat　of
Bonaparte　should　be　averted　once　more　by　the　conclusion　of　a
miserable　peace。　＇Footnote：　Vide　Varnhagen's　〃Denkwurdigkeiten；〃
vol。　i。；　pp。　389；　390。＇

The　old　generals　who　had　served　under　Frederick　the　Great　were　the
heroes　in　whom　the　officers　believed。　〃We　have　got　generals　who　know
something　about　war；〃　said　the　haughty　Prussian　officers；　〃generals
who　have　served　in　the　army　from　their　early　youth。　Those　French
tailors　and　shoemakers　who　have　gained　some　distinction　only　in
consequence　of　the　revolution；　had　better　take　to　their　heels　as
soon　as　such　generals　take　the　field　against　them。〃　＇Footnote：
Hausser's　〃History　of　Germany；〃　vol。　ii。；　p。　358。＇

And　in　the　enthusiasm　inspired　by　their　future　victories；　the
officers　gave　each　other　brilliant　farewell　festivals；　and　indulged
in　liberal　potations　of　champagne　and　hock　in　honor　of　the　impending
battles；　singing　in　stentorian　voices　the　new　war…songs　which　E。　M。
Arndt　＇E。　M。　Arndt；　the　celebrated　author　of　the　German　hymn；　〃Was
ist　des　Deutschen　Vaterland？〃＇　had　just　dedicated　to　the　German
people。　When　their　passions　had　been　excited　to　the　highest　pitch　by
dreams　of　victory；　by　wine　and　soul…stirring　songs；　they　went　in　the
evening　to　the　residence　of　the　French　minister　to　whet　their　sword…
blades　on　the　pavement　in　front　of　his　door。

〃But　what　should　we　need　swords　and　muskets　for？〃　shouted　the
officers　up　to　the　windows　of　the　French　minister；　〃for　when　the
brave　Prussians　are　approaching；　the　French　will　run　away
spontaneously；　cudgels　would　be　sufficient　to　drive　the　fellows　back
to　their　own　country。〃　＇Bishop　Eylert；　〃Frederick　William　III。；〃
vol。　iii。；　p。　8。＇

But　there　were　among　the　officers；　and　particularly　among　the
generals；　some　prudent　and　sagacious　men　who　shared　the　king's
apprehensions；　and　who　looked；　like　him；　anxiously　into　the　future。

These　prudent　men　were　aware　of　the　condition　of　the　Prussian　army；
and　knew　that　it　was　no　longer　what　it　had　been　in　the　Seven　Years'
War；　and　that　there　was　no　Frederick　the　Great　to　lead　it　into
battle。

It　is　true；　there　were　still　in　the　army　many　generals　and　officers
who　had　served　under　Frederick　the　Great；　and　these；　of　course；　were
experienced　and　skilled　in　warlike　operations。　But　they　were　weighed
down　by　the　long　number　of　their　years；　old　age　is　opposed　to　an
adventurous　spirit；　and　in　favor　of　the　comforts　of　life。
Nevertheless；　these　men　believed　in　themselves　and　felt　convinced
that　victory　would　adhere　to　them；　the　warriors　of　Frederick　the
Great；　and　that　no　army　was　able　to　defeat　soldiers　commanded　by
them。

The　more　prudent　men　looked　with　feelings　of　reverence　on　these
ruins　of　the　magnificent　structure　which　the　great　king　had　erected；
but　they　perceived　at　the　same　time　that　they　were　decayed　and
crumbling。　They　well　knew　that　the　Prussian　army　was　behind　the
times　in　many　respects；　and　not　equal　to　the　occasion。　Not　only　were
the　leaders　too　old；　but　the　soldiers　also　had　grown　hoarynot；
however；　in　wars　and　military　camps；　but　in　parading　and　garrison
life。　They　knew　nothing　of　active　warfare；　and　were　only　familiar
with　the　duties　of　parade…soldiers。　They　were　married；　and　entered
sullenly　into　a　war　which　deprived　their　wives　and　children　of　their
daily　bread。

The　Prussian　army；　moreover；　was　still　organized　in　the　old…
fashioned　style；　and　none　of　the　improvements　rendered　indispensable
by　the　rapid　progress　of　the　art　of　war　had　been　adopted　by　the
Prussian　ministers　of　war。

The　arms　of　the　infantry　were　defective　and　bad；　the　muskets　looked
glittering　and　were　splendidly　burnished；　but　their　construction　was
imperfect。　They　were　calculated　only　for　parades；　but　not　for　active
warfare。　Besides；　the　infantry　was　drilled　in　the　old　tactics；　which
looked　very　fine　on　parade；　but　were　worse　than　useless　in　battle。
＇〃The　War　of　1806　and　1807。〃　By　Edward　von　Hopfner；　vol。　1。；　p。　46。＇

The　artillery　was　well　mounted；　but　its　generals　were　too　old　and
disabled　for　field　service；　the　youngest　of　them　were　more　than
seventy　years